A/N: I know I forgot to add the Skeeter interview in and pronounce that Voldemort was a half-blood, sorry! I'll do it sometime in the next few chapters instead. R/R!
Cheers!
*****
Chapter 28
Harry was constantly twitching about and anxious the entire day leading up to the pensieve showing. He couldn't sit still in class and was very animated at lunch.
"Harry, if you don't calm down I'm going to make you study for my N.E.W.T.S. all weekend!" Hermione threatened him as she became annoyed by his excited antics.
Harry looked at her in horror. "Now Hermione, I may be a little over eccentric today, but that's just cruel and unusual." He smirked and she hit him playfully on the arm
"Hmph! I wasn't planning on doing nothing but studying, but since you obviously don't want to spend time with me, I guess I'll do it on my own." She gave him the sweetest looking pout he had ever seen.
Harry threw his arms up in defeat. "Okay, I'll calm down, and I'll help you with your N.E.W.T.S. tonight. Kay?"
She smiled at Harry as Ron sat down next to them. "Yeah Harry, we could make a dinner out of it! Hmm, what do you want to eat though?"
Ron smirked at her next to them. "How about tuna?"
Harry and Hermione glared at him, while everyone else laughed. Dean patted Ron on the back. "Good one there mate!"
Hermione rolled her eyes and went back to her Arithmancy homework, still grasping Harry's hand under the table. Harry peered over her shoulder to see the assignment. "Hey, when is that due anyways? I haven't started mine yet."
Hermione spun her head around and glared at Harry, who immediately tensed up. She pointed at the large clock on the side wall of the great hall. "In about ten minutes! Are you procrastinating again? You told me that you had all of your homework done!"
"Er, well, I, uh…"
"No Harry! Don't try and sweet talk your way out of this one! And no, you can't copy mine, maybe this will teach you a lesson!"
Harry looked down for a minute before glancing back up at Hermione. "I'm sorry Scarlet, I should have done it over the weekend." He gave her a smile and puckered his lips in front of her. "Forgive me?"
Hermione giggled despite herself, pushing Harry away after placing a quick kiss on his cheek. "Okay, but next time there'll be consequences!" She said, trying and failing to sound threatening.
Harry grinned and said, "Well I better be careful then, cuz I wouldn't want to be forced to face the wrath of Hermione!" He finished with his hands in the air in mock surrender.
She giggled at him and spun in her seat, leaning back so that she was leaning on Harry's chest with his arms encircling her. "You better believe it." She said softly, pinching his earlobe and making him cry out in brief pain.
Fifteen minutes later Harry was shifting uneasily in his seat as Professor Vector stared him down. "Do you have good reason for not doing your homework, Mr. Potter?"
Harry began to open his mouth to say that he actually did, but then he remembered that everything he had been doing was a secret. Then he realized that Hermione had all the same responsibilities that he did, and she had still gotten her's done. He lowered his head in shame. "No Professor."
Hermione gave him a small smile for being honest, but whatever happiness may have stemmed from that was squashed when Vector spoke again. "Nine inches of parchment on why triangles are useful in arithmetic sequences and theories, due no later than Friday."
Harry grumbled a, "Yes Professor," before averting his gaze and instead looking out the window at absolutely nothing. There were a few scattered snickers throughout the room but they quieted down quickly as they got into their lesson plan.
Hermione was staring at Harry expectantly as they walked together, hand in hand, from the classroom an hour later. Harry saw her face and smiled. "I'm not going to complain about it Hermione," She smiled brightly at him, and he continued, "But I may have to ask for your help with it tonight."
He turned to see her smiling at him, and she snuggled into his shoulder, beginning to speak. "So what do we want for supper tonight? How about something romantic?" She smiled at him for a moment before bursting into giggles. "Oh I don't care Harry! We can just eat anything, like a pizza or something. Do you think Dobby would make one for us?"
Harry nodded and Hermione sighed, smiling at the distance. "Well that's settled then. I can't believe Ron. Tuna. Honestly, doesn't he know that I hate tuna? Why would he ever suggest something like that? Sometimes he-"
Harry coughed to hold back a laugh, Hermione was the cleverest person he had ever known, but when it came to teenage analogies, she could be a bit daft.
The rest of the day Harry's thoughts kept drifting to the impending announcement that night. How would they react? Would they deny the truth yet again? Would they think that he was just trying to get the attention focused back on him again?
Harry's thoughts and doubts were rendering him senseless by the time that he was in Dumbledore's office, waiting for the portkey he was holding (along with Hermione and Dean, the rest of the Victors were holding different portkey's, anything from an old copy of the Daily Prophet to a quaffle being used) to activate and whisk him away to Diagon Alley, where his pensieve would be shown to the wizarding population, clearing Sirius' name.
Hermione gave him a small smile, winking at him as they were suddenly whisked forward and through the unpleasant sensation that the portkey trips always brought along with them.
Harry landed with a thud, barely managing to keep his footing, and gasped at the sight before him. There was not an empty spot in the alley. It seemed that nearly the entire wizarding population of Britain had shown for the event.
Arthur smiled at Harry and the Victors as they arrived, he had obviously been waiting for them. "Are you ready Harry?" Harry nodded and the minister of magic smiled. "Okay then, let's get started shall we?"
Mr. Weasley pointed his wand to his throat and muttered, "Sonarus." Then said, in a loud, commanding voice, "Wizards and witches, may I have your attention please?" The noise surrounding Diagon Alley was immediately cut off, everyone focusing their attention on the stage and the pensieve projector on it. "What you are about to see will amaze you, some of you may not even believe it all, but it is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth."
Harry heard Hermione snicker next to him as he grinned. Leave it to Mr. Weasley to use a muggle saying in a time like this.
"Everything you are about to see came straight from young Mr. Potter's memories, into this pensieve," He pointed at the glimmering silver substance on the stage, a few people gasped.
"With no further ado, here are Mr. Potter's condemning memories!"
A bright flash lit the sky and the shrieking shack filled the sky.
It started when he came in with Hermione…Ron slumped to the ground in a corner, and there, at the far end of the room, was Sirius Black, the murderer…
People gasped loudly, many of the men and auror's on his case grunted angrily at the man that had eluded their capture for so long.
But then events of the past and present had come to light…Remus had come in…
A few confused and surprised sounds were heard, as was an occasional angry growl of, "Werewolf!"
then they discovered the truth about Scabbers…
A few people screamed as Peter Pettigrew was proved to still be alive. Harry noticed with amusement that some women fainted. Auror's on the case were stunned beyond words.
Snape almost ruined it all, then he was knocked out…next Peter was sprouting up from the ground…finally it showed Wormtail's escape.
More angry groans and whispers about what else could possible be revealed.
It was the end of fourth year, he and Cedric were arguing over who should take the cup…
There were gasps of recognition, Harry saw the Diggory's begin to spill tears, but watch nonetheless.
they were in the graveyard, Wormtail running towards them…Cedric was laying on the ground, spread eagled, dead…
Sobs broke out all over the alleyway, Amos Diggory was sitting on the ground with his face in his hands, crying, while Mrs. Diggory wept silently next to him.
Harry was tied to the gravestone by Wormtail…the potion was brewed…Voldemort was revived…
Screams of horror rocked the night, many more women fainting dead away when the saw Riddle emerge once again, more powerful than before.
Riddle taunted Harry, then gave him his wand, and prepared to duel…they dueled…Harry through off the Imperious Curse…
Gasps of excitement rang through the crowd, Harry reddened as he saw many awed expressions thrown his way.
the wands connected…the ghostly echo's of Cedric and Bertha, and the muggle Frank Bryce, and then his parents emerged from the wand…he was running, running for the triwizard cup and Cedric's body…he accio'd the cup, and was whisked back to Hogwarts…
Tears were falling from nearly every witch or wizard in the vicinity, many casting sad glances at the Diggory's, but none daring to speak to them.
The sky shifted once again…
He was in the Department of Mysteries, they were searching for Sirius…they finally realized that Sirius wasn't there…Harry picked up the prophecy…the death eaters came…
Many people gasped yet again and threw terrified looks at Harry and his friends while others simply watched the scene in awe.
they talked, threatened Ginny…Harry pulled Hermione forward, subconsciously protecting her…they were running through the rooms, dueling the death eaters…Hermione was knocked out by Dolohov…Ron had the brain wrap around him…Ginny was stunned in the face…Luna was hurled across the room, knocked unconscious…
Everyone was looking at the young wizards who had obviously not faired so well with sad eyes, as if silently saying sorry to them.
Neville was stabbing MacNair in the eye…Harry was cornered…Neville was put under the cruciatus curse…
More screams from the crowd, Harry cast an apologetic look at Neville, who was shifting uncomfortably under all the attention he was receiving.
the order came in…Harry ran from the scene, blasting Lucius Malfoy in the process…the prophecy was broken…Dumbledore arrived…Sirius was killed by Lestrange…
Sad cries were heard throughout the crowd. Harry though it was somewhat funny that these people had hated this man an hour ago and now they were mourning his death. Harry would have laughed had his eyes not been spilling out tears of sadness while Hermione hugged him tightly in support.
Harry ran after Bellatrix in a fury…Harry was using the cruciatus on Bellatrix, she screamed and fell back…
Harry gulped visibly, but stayed composed. There were no outcry's or gasps, only silence, the most uncomfortable silence that Harry had ever endured. He dared not look out into the crowd for fear of seeing their expressions and succumbing to unnecessary tears. Voldemort appeared…Dumbledore saved Harry again…Harry was possessed…Voldemort grabbed Bellatrix and ran…
The sky faded back to nothing but darkness, and the crowd stood in an awed silence at what they had witnessed. It started slowly, but got progressively louder and louder as one person clapped, and then another, and another, until finally, the entire crowd was in an uproar of applause.
Harry took this uneasily, while Hermione beamed at him, kissing him on the cheek. "Look at them Harry," She whispered delightedly, caressing his cheek in an attempt to cheer him up. "They believe you, they believe in you, Harry. They're all behind you now."
Harry smiled at her and kissed her soundly on the lips, making her giggle softly and the crowd to go into an even greater uproar at the new news that Harry Potter had a girlfriend.
Arthur let the cheers continue for a few moments before once again muttering the voice magnification charm and addressing the crowd. "Good people, this is not all, but I assure you, Sirius Black will be post-humously cleared of all charges, and Peter Pettigrew will be stripped of his Order of Merlin, First Class."
He paused and smiled. "Speaking of the Order of Merlin, we have three young Hogwarts students deserving of a third class honor for a memory potion they have recently developed." Excited whispers once again consumed the crowd as Harry turned bright red, while Hermione and Neville smiled in glee.
Arthur continued. "Will Neville Longbottom, Hermione Granger, and Harry Potter please step forward."
The crowd exploded as Arthur handed each of them a plaque signifying their achievement. Arthur smiled and turned to the crowd again. "Now, you may wonder, who this potion was created for," Murmurs of interest spread like a plague throughout the crowd.
Arthur turned to a nearby door, grinning broadly. "Alice, Frank, if you would kindly step outside now."
The crowd screamed in surprise as a fully-cured Frank and Alice Longbottom took center-stage and smiled at the crowd, waving to all of their old friends - those who hadn't fainted anyways.
Frank stepped forward as Alice embraced her son, the witches and wizards watched the scene tearfully. Even if they hadn't known the Longbottom's personally, most of them knew of their story.
Arthur spoke again, "I would also like to announce that Frank and Alice Longbottom will be, starting tomorrow, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professors at Hogwarts. Alastar Moody has already resigned his post and will once again be actively working at bringing down the dark lord."
He paused to allow the stunned cheers come from the crowd. Harry, though shocked at this revelation, smiled inwardly to himself. Now Moody would be able to completely focus on their training, the whole returning to bringing the dark lord down thing was true, just not in the way that everyone thought it was.
"That is all for tonight, my fellow wizarding friends. May you all go home and celebrate this wonderful news. Be careful, and goodnight."
He took the sound enhancer spell off of his wand and spoke again to the Victor's. "You lot can go back to Hogwarts now, don't stay up to late now, eh?" He finished with a smile, but that faltered when he saw the scowl on his wife's face.
"But you had better not be doing anything illegal tonight, that would be very wrong, very wrong indeed."
Harry and Ron exchanged a knowing smirk, then Dean leaned in and whispered, just before the portkey whisked them back to Hogwarts, "I sure hope Hermione doesn't have you whipped that badly at that age Harry."
"Ow!" Dean said a few seconds, holding the back of his head, after they were safely back in Dumbledore's office. He spun to see Hermione glaring at him.
"Just cuz you said that right before we portkeyed doesn't mean that I wouldn't retaliate Pele!"
"You know, beating on boys is a sure sign of a scarlet woman, Scarlet!"
"Better than acting all macho to overcompensate for something Dean!"
"Oh yeah! Well you're…" Dean squinted his eyebrows in concentration. "You're - really short!"
"Oh yeah! And you're scruffy-lookin'!"
"Who you callin' scruffy lookin'?"
"Okaaaay," Harry broke in, grinning. "I know how that scene ends, and I don't think I wanna see that!" He turned to Hermione. "Hey, I thought that you only bickered with Ron?"
"What? Are you jealous?" Hermione said, giving him a sly smile.
"Hmm, I dunno, maybe I'll need some reassurance on your part?"
Hermione grinned and leaned into him, quickly kissing him on the lips. Nine voices groaned, "Get a room!"
The couple blushed brightly, then Harry smiled at the others. "Okay, but then where would you guys sleep?" Harry smiled in satisfaction at seeing Ron and Seamus turning a little green, while Dean looked sicker but not in color. Harry laughed to himself.
'Why do we call blacks 'colored'? Us Caucasians are green when we're sick, blue when we're cold, and red when we're angry. And we have the nerve to call them colored!'
Hermione rolled her eyes at everyone and pulled on Harry's arm, none of them seeming to notice the very amused Hogwarts Headmaster smiling at them all, eyes twinkling, in amusement.
"Come on Harry, let's get our books and such, then we'll go to the Room of Requirement."
Ignoring the cat-calls, they left the room after bidding Professor Dumbledore good-bye and half an hour later found themselves in the room of requirement.
'I need a room to study and work, but in a romantic gesture.'
After walking past the area that he knew lead to the Room of Requirement three times, a large door materialized itself. Grinning at Hermione, he pushed it open and walked in.
There was a grand bookshelf in one corner of the room, as well as a two-seater desk and a large assortment of quills and parchment. On the other side of the room there was a loveseat facing towards a brilliantly lit fireplace, as well as a dinner table set for two, complete with roses and wine.
"I reckon we eat first, work later. What do ya say?"
Hermione answered by smiling and walking over to the dinner table, waiting for Harry to pull out her chair for her. He grinned and walked to the table, pulling out his own chair, looking directly at Hermione, and sat down. "Are you waiting for something?" He asked with a smirk, earning a glare from Hermione.
He laughed and with a flick of his wand the chair scooted back for her, beckoning her to sit in it. She grinned and sat down, giggling slightly when the chair whisked her forward a few inches so that she was seated at the table.
Harry poured two bottles of wine and said, "So, what do we drink to?"
"The Longbottom's" Hermione replied, raising her glass.
Harry smiled, tapping her glass with his. "The Longbottom's."
Harry and Hermione talked animatedly for the next few minutes over various topics - none related to quidditch or school work - until Dobby apparated into the room.
"Harry Potter sir, Dobby has brought Harry Potter Harry Potter's food sir. Dobby cooked it himself sir. Is there anything else Dobby can do for Harry Potter or his Hermione?"
Harry grinned at the house-elf as Dobby set the pizza down on the table while Hermione muffled a laugh. "No Dobby, that's all thanks."
Dobby bowed slightly and snapped his fingers, dissaparating back to the kitchens. "He's an odd one, don't you think?" Hermione asked him.
"Yeah, but you like him, because he's a good spokesperson for spew!" He grinned at her as he finished, receiving a glare for his actions.
Hermione's expression softened almost as suddenly as it had appeared, and she smiled at the pizza on the table. "Hmm, so romantic Harry. Wine, roses, and pizza."
They both laughed before digging in and significantly raising their cholesterol count for the day. About an hour later they were sitting at the desk in one corner of the room, books spilled all over the desk for Harry's paper.
"Hermione, are you going to tell me what's wrong or will I have to torture it out of you?"
Harry had noticed that Hermione was constantly frowning while becoming lost in thought, staring out into space for five minutes at a time. His curiosity had finally gotten the better of him, so he spoke his mind.
"Well, I'm just thinking, do what if there were triangles hidden in our riddle. Wouldn't it make it easier to figure out? If they exist, I mean."
Harry looked thoughtful and pulled a crinkled old parchment out of his pocket and laid it on the table. "I brought this along in case something came up. We've got the lightning bolt design, so is there any way to manipulate it and split the riddle into triangles?"
Hermione scooted closer to him and peered over the parchment. They sat in silence for a few minutes until Hermione squealed, "Yes! Right there! Like this!"
0 0 G H 1 2
7 S 5 1 0 1
3 D D 2 0 9
1 G G S 3 3
1 V T M R 8
9 G H S 9 1
8 F B 1 A 0
0 P 1 R B 6
1 3 R M M 2
0 S V 1 2 1
D 1 V H P 1
M M 9 G H 9
T M R 9 P 9
S V B M 8 5
"If you connect the ends of the bolt like this, then you get these numbers!" She excitedly wrote them down. "Zero - five - two - three, and one - nine - nine - eight. Another date!"
They smiled excitedly at one another, until Harry frowned after observing it closer. "Hermione, this date is May Fifth, Nineteen Ninety-Eight. That's next May! Is this, I mean, could it be another important date in me and Voldemort's future?"
Hermione nodded slowly. "Yes…I expect so. Look, the two lines connect your birth date with your parent's…death date…and finally with the date of Voldemort's rebirth. I'd say that this date is when the conflict is resolved! Harry - it must be a prophecy of sorts telling you when your final battle with Voldemort will take place!"
She traced the lines with her finger again. "Look, now the riddle is divided into quarters. I would expect that two of the quarters pertain to you, while the other two pertain to Voldemort. What they say though…I dunno."
Harry smiled and pulled her in close to him. "It's okay Hermione, that's good enough for now. We can figure out the rest later." He grinned at her. "But right now that loveseat is calling my name, so why don't we go over there for a while?"
*****
A/N: There it is, I hope you liked it! There may be another chapter tomorrow, but I'm not sure yet. After that, nothing until mid next week or possibly later.
Preview: An old friend reappears, a duel, a quidditch match, a funeral (maybe) and finally, Snitch reappears!